cover image Epoch

Epoch

Timothy Carter. Flux, $8.95 (299pp) ISBN 978-0-7387-1066-2

Christians take a beating in Carter's fast-paced comedy, which thumbs its nose at the Left Behind genre while borrowing heavily from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Vincent's parents and older brother are passionate members of an extreme Christian sect called the Triumvirate; Vincent isn't a believer, but stays quiet to keep the peace. At a school science fair, he notices a small demonic-looking creature-then later sees another one in the cupboard of Chanteuse, the pagan babysitter who lives down the street. He's kidnapped by a horde of the creatures one night and implanted with a small bug that allows them to control his actions. Other inhuman creatures start to come out of the woodwork-centaurs, pixies, elves-all preparing for the great cleansing of the earth that is about to take place. The only chance for survival lies in locating the Portal Sites, gateways to other, safer dimensions. With the exception of Vincent, character development is practically nil-the hyper-religious parents, the tea-sipping New Age girl and a rich bully are barely more than caricatures, but given the book's allegorical nature, they serve the plot just fine. It is certainly not subtle (the book oozes a smug, anti-Christian attitude) but Carter delivers the finale he promises: he really does close the book with the end of humanity. Ages 12-up.